The instant invention relates generally to a floating boom for confining material floating on a liquid, and more particularly concerns a two plate which is attached to the leading edge of a floating boom used to confine oil floating on water.
Oil spills have created problems of increasing seriousness in many parts of the world during recent years. Since oil has a density lower than water, it will float and spread over wide areas and thereby constitutes a dangerous pollution source. In several cases, large oil tankers wrecked at sea have spilled thousands of gallons of crude oil into the ocean near beaches, harbors, and shore installations. Ruptured hoses and leaking fittings at refineries and shipping terminals have also created serious oil spills in busy harbors. This spilled floating oil is a fire hazard in addition to polluting nearby land areas. It is therefore highly desirable to restrict spilled oil as rapidly as possible to as small an area as possible in order to facilitate its recovery, minimize pollution, and reduce the potential fire hazard.
Heretofore various types of booms have been devised to confine material floating on the surface of a liquid, such as the boom disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,903,701, issued Sept. 9, 1975 to Uniroyal, Inc., the assignee of the instant invention. The function of these booms is to prevent oil or similar products from spreading, thereby isolating the pollutant in an area where it can be removed from the surface. With the boom confining the oil, authorities can concentrate on cleaning it up by skimming it from the surface, applying straw to absorb the oil or spraying the oil with chemicals. Typical booms, such as the one disclosed in the aforementioned patent, are first deployed upon the water near the spill and then towed into a position so that the oil may be corralled and even surrounded.
When the boom is being towed into a corralling position, experience has shown that the leading edge of the boom often moves in an uncontrolled and erratic manner, even at very low tow speeds, diving below the surface of the water, pulling the boom under and aggravating any twist conditions which may have previously been introduced into the boom by reason of rotation of the boom in the water during towing.
The instant invention therefore provides a tow plate for attachment to the leading edge of the boom which is designed to minimize uncontrolled and erratic movement of the leading edge of the boom in the course of towing the boom.